


While You Were Dreaming

by MarvelousMenagerie (HiddenOne)



Series: Tony Stark Bingo 2018 [5]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Hopeful Ending, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Steve Rogers Feels, Tony Tries to Help, and puts himself in a coma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-09-05 03:09:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16802455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenOne/pseuds/MarvelousMenagerie
Summary: After Thanos, after the disappearance of their teammates, after half of Earth's population is just gone, Steve is trying to figure out how to move forward - if he can even move forward.He knows he should've kept a closer eye on Tony too, who would also be feeling the pressure, but in the end he hadn't. What matters is that Steve hadn't watched closely enough, not enough to stop Tony before it happened.





	While You Were Dreaming

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Tony Stark Bingo, square S4: coma

Rhodes rubs his face, the lines across his forehead deepening.

“I hate to say I told you so, but I _told_ you,” Rhodes says with a sigh.

Steve clenches his jaw for a moment but then sighs himself. “I know,” he admits. He runs a hand through his hair, shoulders dropping.

He knows. He’s told himself _I should have_ and _I wish_ and _why didn’t you_ every minute since he’d found out. He’d known, and Rhodes had told him, and Steve still hadn’t done a good enough job.

He still hadn’t kept a careful enough eye on Tony.

Rhodes would have, if he’d been back at the compound, only he hadn’t been. Everyone, Tony and Rhodes included, had admitted that Rhodes was better stationed in D.C., trying to be one of the voices of reason left in what remained of the shambles of government. Steve can’t only say that having Rhodes there has kept the situation from becoming worse, but maybe it doesn’t matter now - because of Tony.

“I’m coming back,” Rhodes says, and Steve doesn’t bother arguing.

War Machine flights are for emergencies only, without the guarantee of industries or resources to fix any issues. Tony can do a lot with a little, but eventually even Tony will have a hard time sourcing materials, especially since money mattered so little anymore. And now they might’ve lost Tony, too.

“I’ll keep you updated,” Steve promises before he signs off.

Steve has meetings, plans, strategy sessions. The world needs the Avengers more than ever, and yet half the Avengers are missing. Half of the Avengers are _gone_.

Dust, blown away in the wind.

How were they supposed to figure out how to go back and fix this, how to defeat Thanos, all while figuring out how to keep the world from burning to ashes in the process? Hysteria, crime, looting, panic. Steve doesn’t know. He doesn’t know how to move forward. No one does.

Can they fix it? Can Steve handle it if they have to move forward from this point instead of back? Is Steve supposed to move on in a world where now only half the population exists, where Bucky dies in front of him again, where Sam is gone and Wanda and Vision and…

“Damn it, Tony,” Steve mutters as he turns to face Tony.

Tony doesn’t twitch. Tony’s face is slack, peaceful, as he lies on the bed where Bruce had hooked him up to an EKG and an IV. The EKG showed no change, beeping steadily along, while the contraption on Tony’s head did nothing.

That damn BARF tech. Why did Tony have to use it now? What hope did it have for Tony?

Why wouldn’t Tony just wake up?

Steve swallows his questions before he can ask them. If Tony can still hear them, even in this state, than Steve doesn’t want Tony to hear him scolding.

“Wake up, Tony,” Steve urges. “Please.” I need you. Together we might have a chance at figuring this out. I can’t do this alone. I can’t. I can’t start all over again, not like this, and not without you.

Tony doesn’t move. Bruce has diagnosed Tony as having entered into a coma state, the cause of which is unknown but likely due to the BARF tech Tony had been wearing at the time. They hadn’t removed it, too afraid of the consequences.

If only Tony had explained his plan, had told Steve, Bruce, _anyone_ what he was thinking, what he was up to.

If only, if only.

Rhodes had known that Tony would try something, and Steve had known too. He’d known, but he hadn’t kept a careful enough eye on Tony. Too many meetings, too many conferences, too many strategy sessions, and Tony working harder than all of them to figure out how to move forward or back, if that was even possible.

Damn that Dr. Strange for those damn cryptic comments, for putting this on Tony directly.

Damn himself, for not watching. Damn himself for being too late, again.

Again, and again, and again.

How is he supposed to go on like this?

A soft knock at the door has Steve turning.

“Cap, we need you,” Nat says quietly, her gaze flicking to Tony before back to him. Her gaze is tired and sad, and she doesn’t step into the room.

“On my way,” Steve says, though he doesn’t move quite yet. Nat nods at him and leaves.

Steve turns back to Tony. He squeezes Tony’s hand and watches for one long, hopeful moment - but Tony doesn’t twitch.

Steve turns and walks out, straightening his shoulders back into the form of the leader the Avengers, and the world, need him to be.

* * *

Later, it’s only Rhodes who is there when Tony wakes. Steve had been coming down, on his way from another meeting, when Friday alerts him that Tony is awake.

Steve rushes into the room, and Tony turns and looks at him with determined brown eyes.

“I know how to fix this,” Tony promises. “I know what we need to do.”

“It’s a damn fool idea,” Rhodes says to Steve. Then he turns back to Tony. “Drink more water, you idiot.”

Steve leans back against the wall, afraid that he’ll collapse otherwise. The joy at Tony waking up, the relief at what Tony is saying, the fear and the worry about what is next to come. And Steve can’t do anything except continue, except move forward.

At least Tony is here, back with them, and even offering hope.

“What’s the plan?” Steve asks.


End file.
